Desperate Love
by BrokenButStillStanding
Summary: It wasn't the first time this had happened. Every other week it seemed to be that a different member of the squad woke up in hysterics and all the others rushed to their defense. It didn't matter that the threat wasn't visible, you could say a lot of the things about the special operations squad, but you could never say they were not there for each other. LevixPetra


A bloodcurdling scream echoed through the walls of the castle in the dead of night, in her room was a young woman with soft tangerine hair sticking to her sweaty face. The woman's eyes were squeezed shut and her sheets were tangled around her legs as she thrashed in her sleep, terrified cries sounding throughout the halls.

Petra was having one of her many recurring nightmares. She was trapped in her mind as she watched everyone she cared about be ripped apart in front of her. Her arms and legs were bound to a tree and one at a time her comrades became twisted and distorted, some were torn from her sight immediately by a titan and others sneered at her in contempt as they uncharacteristically berated her. Eld screamed as he was torn in two, Gunther cried out in pain as his skull cracked right next to her, Oluo stood by her ear and whispered the most horrendous things she could imagine to her. Then Levi appeared. He sauntered up to her and grabbed her chin

"Watch them!" He commanded in a harsh tone "watch them die for you!"

The screams mixed with hers as she desperately tried to free herself

"Worthless" a voice hissed

"Selfish" another added

"WATCH THEM" her captain screamed and suddenly it was almost as if his skin melted away, it went from Levi to her father who laughed horrendously at her, to Erwin, to Hanji, until the form finally settled on a small child who looked shockingly like Petra. The child curled up and screamed and cried, begging to an unknown source to leave her alone as Petra's friends died in the background. Petra opened up her mouth to scream again when she heard a voice

"Petra. Petra wake up its a dream!"

With one final wail she shot up in her bed, her arms hugging her waist as she panted. She could barely register what was going on through her tears. Gunther was the one shaking her, he kneeled by her bed and had taken one of her arms into his. Auruo stood a couple feet inside her room, still in his pajamas like the rest of the squad and looking as if he had sprinted through the halls. A shirtless Eld was in a fighting stance near her door, holding his blades to fend off whatever threat had made her scream and Levi stood with his arms braced against her doorframe, gazing in at her with a slightly startled expression on his face.

It wasn't the first time this had happened. Every other week it seemed to be that a different member of the squad woke up in hysterics and all the others rushed to their defense. It didn't matter that the threat wasn't visible, you could say a lot of the things about the special operations squad, but you could never say they were not there for each other.

Petra hiccuped, still trying to compose herself and wipe the tears from her face. No one said a word as they allowed her to catch her breath.

"Get some sleep, men" Levi said from the door, more of an order than a request. With one last glance at their still terrified teammate they slowly filed out of the room until only her Captain remained. He slowly shut the door to her room and turned to her. Petra was slightly confused, he'd never done anything like this before. He strode purposefully over to her bed and began to straighten out her sheets so they weren't so helplessly tangled around her. He didn't say a word, not once asking what her dream had been about, for which she was grateful. He just let her bask in his comforting presence for a moment before gently, and showing an uncharacteristic moment of tenderness, tucked her in and laid her down. Petra's face was still tear streaked but her chest ached less and she had caught her breath. Levi turned and made his way to her door, pausing at the doorframe.

"Thank you" Petra said softly as he hovered. He was still for a moment before he spoke, back still to her

"I...tell me if this is out of line..." He began, "was your nightmare about me?" He asked. Petra froze

"You screamed my name" he elaborated. Now Petra knew why he had sent the rest of the squad away. She cleared her throat,

"You...made me watch them die"...she whispered, not missing the way he flinched. It was silent for another minute, silence dancing an uncomfortable waltz between them, before he spoke again.

"I'm sorry."

Petra was surprised

"What for?" She asked "it's not your fault."

Instead of answering her he made his way over to her again. Without asking he slipped under her covers with her and wrapped a hand around her back and gently cupped her head with the other, pressing it softly to his shoulder. Petra felt another rush of tears come but didn't try to fight it as she softly weeped into her superior officer's cotton bed shirt. She felt him softly inhale, his nose buried in her hair, and grip her tighter as she cried.

He was human too, she realized. He had nightmares but couldn't scream for fear of being a coward, he had fears but couldn't cry for fear of being weak, this was his way of expressing sadness. He was such a tired man, so weary from the things he had seen and done. But as Petra's tears dried and her puffy eyes slowly drooped she knew for sure that she was in desperate, absolute love with him.


End file.
